


What's a Little Fun Between Friends?

by usuallyproperlyhydrated



Category: Bunheads
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-04 00:53:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6634447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usuallyproperlyhydrated/pseuds/usuallyproperlyhydrated
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(I've migrated my fanfics from ff.net just so I can have them all in one place.)</p><p>Originally published 09-01-12, Finished 06-26-13</p><p>Boo and Ginny are out on dates, leaving Sasha and Melanie out. But that doesn't mean they can't have a little fun on their own. Casual Sashanie that turns into More.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Boys suck," declared Mel one Friday night as she and Sasha sat alone in her basement drinking purloined beer.

"Not that I don't agree," drawled Sasha, "but I thought you were glad Ginny got back together with Josh because that means she'll be safe from Charlie."

"I'd be stoked if she dated Britney Spears as long as she was out of Charlie's reach."

"Of course, you'd be extra stoked if she was dating Britney Spears because that would mean she's into girls."

"Gross." Melanie scrunched up her nose. "Why would I want her to be into girls?"

"Bitch, please." Sasha rolled her eyes. "If she was into girls you could finally make a move instead of mooning over her like a lovesick puppy."

"'Mooning over her'? You've been hanging out with Michelle, haven't you? You sound like you're a hundred and fifty."

"And you still haven't denied it."

"You're an asshat. I'm not in love with my best friend."

"You're also not the tallest girl at Paradise High."

"I think there's a girl in my gym class who's like six seven. You'd think she'd be good at basketball, so I picked her for my team, but she totally sucks."

"Subject changer."

"Why are you so stuck on this?" shot Melanie. "Are you sick of being the lone teenage lesbian?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please. Ignorance does not become you, Sasha-bear."

"Don't call me that."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll knock your pretty little teeth out."

"I notice Boo has all her teeth."

"And when has she ever called me Sasha-bear?"

"When she's trying to calm you down and thinks no one is listening."

Sasha's only response was to glower and take another swig of beer while Melanie smirked.

Her personal celebration was a bit premature, however, because before she could blink her friend had climbed onto her lap, straddling her, their lips a whisper away.

"You're not into girls, hmm?" Her voice was low.

Mel swallowed nervously. She had a crush on Ginny, but that didn't mean she hadn't appreciated Sasha's beauty in her spare time. Her expressive dark eyes, her defined cheekbones, her full lips... There were girls who would kill to look like Sasha, and she wore her looks with the haughtiness of an evil but very, very sexy queen.

"No...nope...not..."

"Sure about that?"

Sasha very deliberately pressed her lips to Mel's, closing the miniscule gap between them. Before her mind knew how to react, her body was in full swing. Heat rushed to her cheeks, her heart thumped furiously, madly, frantically. Her hands moved under Sasha's shirt and up her back of their own accord, feeling the other girl's muscles contract and relax. Sasha was a talented bad-ass when it came to dancing, but good hell, she was a mind-blowing kisser as well. When she felt a tongue slip into her mouth, Mel couldn't remember her own name, let alone the last time she felt this _good_.

"This," Sasha panted against her cheek, her breath warm, "doesn't mean anything, got it?"

"Mmhmm." Melanie was too dazed to think of a witty response.

"Because even though we are the only out-ish lesbians our age, that doesn't automatically mean we're dating-"

"Geeze, do you ever stop talking? We're just make out buddies, I got it. Just because I like kissing your dirty yet surprisingly capable mouth doesn't mean I'm going to get all mushy and buy you stuff and take you places. Now shut up."

There would be time to talk about this—whatever "this" was—later. But for now...

She felt Sasha shiver as she ran her tongue lightly across her collarbone.

They would have some fun.


	2. Chapter 2

" _You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed, sing like a bird, dizzy in my head_ -"

Sasha pulled her lips away from Mel's and fumbled around on the floor by the couch for her phone.

"Hey, Boo. Done already?"

Pause.

"Oh. I guess it is eleven-thirty."

Pause.

"I'm at Mel's; do you want to come over?"

Pause.

"All right, see you in a bit."

"Uncle Kracker, huh?"

"Shove it, Segal. You think I don't know your ringtone for Ginny is 'Things I'll Never Say'?" Sasha started putting her hair into a ponytail. "I wouldn't get all smarmy if I was you. You have an enormous hickey on your neck."

"No way." Melanie dashed to the bathroom and flipped on the light. "Dammit, Sasha! How am I gonna explain this?"

"Not my problem."

"Sure as hell is your problem, Miss Superior. I couldn't give myself a hickey there even if I was that weird kid from elementary school who liked to suck on his limbs and who did I spend all night with?"

"Shit." The shorter girl surveyed her handiwork. "It's low enough that you could probably hide it with a hoodie...Maybe throw some concealer on it?"

"And what about during ballet? I can't wear a hoodie and I'll sweat the makeup off."

"That's not til Monday. It should be gone by then. Right?"

"I don't know, I've never had one before!"

All of a sudden Mel started laughing.

"What are you guffawing at?" Sasha tried to keep a scowl on her face but failed miserably.

"This. Us. You're an asshole and I'd never date you, but here we are, trying to figure out how to hide the fact that we've been macking all night."

"We have _not_ been macking all night."

"Who's been macking all night?"

The girls jumped at the sound of Boo's voice coming from the stairwell.

"You and Carl," said Sasha quickly.

She gave Melanie a look that meant she had three seconds to eliminate the evidence of their tryst or heads would roll. Mel rolled her eyes and ducked back into the bathroom.

"Oh my gosh, you guys don't really think Carl and I made out all night, do you?"

"Of course not, that's disgusting." Sasha appraised Boo's outfit as she flopped onto the couch. "You clean up pretty nice."

"Thanks." Boo blushed. "Carl really liked it. Where's Mel?"

"Bathroom. She had a lot to drink."

The blonde frowned at the empty beer cans strewn around the room.

"Sasha, I don't think-"

"Relax, those were already there. We only had one each because we were bored after Mel guzzled all the rootbeer." The brunette flashed her friend a fake smile. "Tell me all about your date."

"I didn't think you wanted to hear about it."

"Why not? It's got to be more exciting than what Mel and I did."

"HA!" crowed Mel from behind the door. "I mean, yes, definitely."

"Well, we went to the Oyster Bar-"

"How original."

"You said you wanted to hear about it..."

"I did. I'm sorry. Continue."

"And we talked and then just went for a walk and looked at the stars."

"Sounds romantic."

"Don't make fun of me. It was."

"Did he kiss you goodnight?"

"If I say yes will you puke?"

"I'll try to control my gag reflex just this once."

_"If I could say what I wanna say I'd say I wanna blow you away, be with you every night-"_

"Answer that!" called Mel as she shot up the stairs before Boo could get a good look at her.

"Where is she going? Has her ringtone always been Avril?"

Sasha shrugged and picked up the phone.

"Hey Ginny."

Pause.

"No, this is Mel. We got Chinese food and opened our fortune cookies at the exact same time and switched bodies."

Pause.

"I know, it's a huge pain."

Pause.

"What do you mean prove it? Don't you believe me?"

Pause.

"Fine. You have twelve toes."

Pause.

"No? Oh, sorry, you're right. That's Charlie I'm thinking of."

Pause.

"All right, fine. Mel's busy and asked me to take a message."

Pause.

"Yeah, sure. Boo's already here. We'll watch a movie or something."

Pause.

"K, see you."

She hung up just as Mel joined them, wearing a dark green hoodie.

"Nice of you to join us, Jolly Green Giant. Ginny's on her way over."

"Awesome."

"So what did you two do all night?" Boo asked.

"Drank stuff."

"Watched stuff."

"Watched stuff and then drank it."

"What did you watch?"

"Reruns of I Love Lucy. Sasha's obsessed with Desi Arnaz. She has a huge crush on him."

"Really? I didn't think Sasha liked dark guys."

"I don't."

"She's more into blondes."

"At least I don't like midgets." Sasha smirked.

"I thought you said no more short Carl jokes!"

"Shit, I didn't mean Carl."

"Who were you talking about then?"

"No one. Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Whipped!" Mel fake coughed.

"You guys are being weird," said Boo. "What movie do you want to watch?"

"I don't care."

"Me neither."

"Do you mind if I pick one out to get away from your weirdness?"

"Knock yourself out."

Boo walked to the other side of the room where the Segals' movie collection resided and started browsing. Sasha took the opportunity to elbow Melanie in the ribs, to which Mel responded by sticking her tongue out.

"You started it," she muttered under her breath.

"This is actually kinda fun," murmured Sasha. "Wanna make it more interesting?"

"Oh no."

"First person to kiss her girl in front of the others wins. Starts the minute Ginny walks in."

"Like kiss kiss?"

"Like on the cheek or whatever."

"What does the winner get?"

"Loser has to confess her feelings to her girl."

"NO!"

"What are you guys whispering about?"

"I'm pregnant with Godot's child."

"Yeah, I'm going to go back to ignoring you."

"Good idea."

"That's way too much pressure," Mel hissed after a minute.

"Fine. Loser buys the winner's fries for a month."

"And drinks."

"And drinks. Deal?"

"Starts when Ginny walks in?"

"Yep."

"Ends?"

"When someone does it."

Mel hesitated.

"All right, deal."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, guys."

"Hey."

"Hi, Ginny."

"Hey, blondie. How's your common law husband?"

"Who, Josh? He's good."

"What did you two do tonight?" asked Mel. "Play cribbage?"

"Go antiquing?" mused Sasha.

"Sew a quilt?"

"Send belated birthday cards to your grandchildren with a shiny nickel and the admonition not to spend it all in one place?"

"Ignore them," Boo said to Ginny as the two brunettes cracked up. "They've been like this since I got here. I'm trying to decide between _Up_ and _Monsters Inc._ Which would you rather watch?"

" _Up._ Definitely. We—Josh and I—have seen _Monsters Inc._ with his little sistertoo many times to count."

"All right, _Up_ it is. Any objections from Thing One and Thing Two over there?"

"Nah."

"Nope.

While Boo turned the TV on and got everything ready, Ginny headed to her usual movie watching position—curled up against Melanie with her head in the other girl's lap.

"You smell like Sasha," she commented, wrinkling her nose.

"Well I was stuck with her all night while you two were off being all relationshippy," said Mel, lightly scratching her best friend's back.

"What do I smell like?" asked Sasha.

"Oh, I don't know. Your shampoo, I guess. Sarcasm. General hatred of the human race."

"The vanilla-scented laundry detergent your dad uses," added Boo, sitting between Ginny and Sasha, remote in hand. "The lotion you put on after ballet."

"Teen lesbian," Melanie mouthed over the other girls' heads.

"You smell like it too," said Sasha out loud with a smirk.

"Oh, look. Previews!" Mel said before Boo or Ginny could ask about the exchange that had just taken place. "Skip to the menu."

"Can we skip the first ten minutes too?" Sasha yawned. "It's so boring I could cry."

"Well, you _did_ cry when we watched it, but I don't think it was from boredom..."

"Ooh, Sasha crying? Do tell, Boo!"

"Shhhhhhh…shhh…sh…"

Sasha put her palm over Boo's mouth and pulled her head to her chest.

"Oh my god, you totally did cry! That's so tender!" Ginny laughed.

"Mmmpffunngnal."

"What was that?" Sasha removed her hand.

"You smell like Mel—ow!" Boo protested as her friend tried to silence her by thwacking her with a pillow.

"My bad. Forgive me, honey?" She placed a dramatic kiss on Boo's cheek.

"What's gotten into you tonight?" Boo blushed slightly. "You're acting weird."

"We got into Charlie's stash of weed," said Mel, making a face at Sasha for winning the bet so quickly and easily.

"Guys!"

"Cross my heart."

"Yeah, I've got the total munchies. Anyone want some fries?" Sasha smirked at Mel.

"Shut it, nerds, I'm watching the most heart-breaking love story known to man," Ginny said, eyes glued to the TV.

Sasha rolled her eyes, trying to conceal how deeply this part of the movie affected her. She had cried so hard when she first watched it with Boo that Boo had stopped the movie completely and hovered nervously, unsure what to say or do, until Sasha had finished (at which point Sasha made her swear not to mention the incident to anyone on pain of death).

"I'm going to get popcorn. No butter for you, Boo?"

"Thanks, Sasha."

"I'll come with you. No salt, Cindy Lou Who?"

"You got it, Grinch."

When they were in the kitchen, safely out of earshot, Sasha did a victory pirouette while Mel scoured the cabinets for microwave popcorn.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," she gloated.

"Yeah, yeah. Fine. You won. I have to buy you fries and drinks. Big freaking whoop." Melanie was a notoriously sore loser.

"You don't think she knows, do you?"

"Who, Boo? That we...you know?"

"No, that I...you know."

"Nah, I think you're safe. Although if we keep making bets like that they'll both know within the month."

"Do you want Ginny to know?"

The question made Mel stop in the middle of closing the microwave door. She thought for a moment, then shut the door with finality.

"No. It would mess things up. She doesn't like girls. She's been boy crazy since the womb. It would make her uncomfortable to know that I'm totally into her and I never want to put her into that spot. Plus it'd hurt like hell when she told me outright that she isn't interested in me like that." She shook herself, as if trying to get rid of the heavy feeling that fell over the kitchen. "What about you? Boo seems like she could swing either way. Even if she's not into girls as a whole, I think she's definitely got something going on for you."

"Maybe," said Sasha slowly. "I don't think Boo would be worried that I'm a girl. I mean, she'd probably go through a little gay panic and wonder what her parents and everyone would think. But I think she'd mostly be worried because I'm _me,_ you know? Emotionally damaged and repressed Sasha. Would I let her inside and let her see what I'm feeling and thinking? Would a closer relationship just give me more ammo to hurt her deeper?"

Melanie looked at Sasha. She had folded her arms as though protecting herself and was staring at the floor with a brooding expression. Melanie had never had the urge to hug her abrasive friend before. Slap her butt? Yes. Kiss her? More than once. Punch her in the face? Most of the time. But never hug her. It would be like trying to hug a moody shark or a ravenous bear—more trouble than it was worth. She had never seen this kind of vulnerability and self-doubt so naked and raw in her. It made her uncomfortable.

"What are you doing?" asked Sasha as Mel wrapped her arms around her. There was no venom in her voice, just hollowness.

"I appear to be hugging you. It'll never happen again, so shut up and enjoy it."

Rather than push her away or make a snarky comment, Sasha melted into the embrace. This was a different feeling than when they danced together. It was different from the heated make out. There was a tenderness, an intimacy, that Melanie rarely felt even with Ginny.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The girls jumped, the moment over.

"Popcorn's done," they said at the same time.

"This is the butter free stuff, right?" asked Sasha. "I'll take it downstairs."

"I'll bring the next bag down when it's done."

"Cool."

"Cool."

"Cool."

Melanie grinned and turned back to the counter.

"Hey Mel?"

"What's up?"

"Nothing. I just..." Sasha stood on tiptoe and kissed Mel's cheek. "Thanks."

"No problem, dude. Now get your ass downstairs and get your snuggle on with Boo."


	4. Chapter 4

Melanie found herself thinking about Sasha and Friday night more than she would've liked to admit for the next few days. And not just because she was reminded of them whenever she looked in the mirror and saw the purple mark grinning at her smugly. She kept seeing Sasha standing in the middle of the kitchen looking lost, kept feeling the soft kiss on her cheek, kept hearing her genuine laugh, so different from the cynical one she usually used.

Sasha had always been the bitchy friend, ever since the four friends met in kindergarten. They really didn't have a reason to keep her around except out of habit, like a mean cat. She was funny and spiced up the dull Paradise life, but other than that she could be a real pain in the ass. Besides, they were really more two separate pairs of friends than four mutual friends. They knew each other's preferences and habits without really knowing much beyond their particular friend. But now Mel was thinking about Sasha as an actual person, not just a nebulous person who did stupid things and had to get bailed out and was (relatively) close to Boo.

She was a bitch, that was for sure, but she was also gutsy. Sasha dared to do things most people would never think of. She was determined. She got what she wanted even if it meant stepping on people to get it.

There was also a softness that Mel had only gotten a glance of on Friday. A vulnerability that usually only Boo saw. It made Melanie uncomfortable to think about, like she was invading Sasha's privacy, so she put it in the back of her mind and concentrated on googling ways to make hickeys fade or cover them up.

"I've been meaning to ask, why are you wearing a hoodie?" Ginny asked as the girls changed for ballet after school. "It's such a nice day."

"I've been cold," responded Mel vaguely.

"Oh yeah?"

Sasha was bent over getting her shoes out of her bag, but there was definitely a smirk on her face.

"Yo! A sister could use some help down here if you're changed!" called Michelle from the dance floor.

"You two go ahead, we'll be down in a sec," said Melanie to Ginny and Boo who shrugged and went to help Michelle.

"So how bad is it?" asked Sasha when they were gone.

Melanie took off her hoodie to show her the hickey, which was a nasty mix of green and purple by now.

"Shoot. I was hoping we could pass it off as a regular bruise, but that's not gonna happen."

"Most of the websites I went to suggested waterproof concealer, you know, to stop it from coming off while I'm dancing, but I didn't have any and didn't have time to go buy some."

"I have some." Sasha reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of foundation and a sponge. She dabbed it onto Mel's neck hurriedly. "It won't be pretty, but it'll have to do. Wear the hoodie downstairs and as soon as we're done put it back on, got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

Melanie tried not to be distracted by how blue Sasha's eyes were. She had just assumed that they were black or brown because her pupils were so enormous and the rest of her coloring was dark, but they were blue. Like, blue blue. Like, sky, ocean, every blue cliché in the world blue…

"All right, cool, let's go," she said before Sasha could mention how weird she was being. It was just another detail to think about at a later (unspecified) time.

XXX

**Hey. Jessica Stein.**

**Okay seriously? We're in the same room, what do you want?**

**Seeing your hickey was kinda hot.**

**And?**

**And we should do it again.**

"Who are you texting?" Ginny asked, shaking her hair out.

"An idiot," said Mel, trying to ignore how hot her cheeks were getting.

"Well tell Charlie we'll be out in a minute."

**Now?**

**Not now, moron, we have to get rid of G and B first.**

**Here?**

**Yes.**

**In the dressing room?**

**Yes.**

**Really?**

**Why not?**

**Someone could catch us, that's why not.**

**That makes it more exciting.**

**You're impossible.**

**:)**

"Is he being a pain?"

"Always." Mel glared at Sasha, who was wearing an expression of maddening innocence. As soon as Boo and Ginny had turned their backs she winked and bit her lip salaciously. Mel immediately turned her eyes to her phone.

**Fine. But *you* need to get them to leave.**

**Too easy. Say that Charlie's on strike. He's not actually here, right?**

**Nope.**

**Perfect. I'll take care of the rest.**

"Asshole!" shouted Mel.

"What's up?"

"Charlie is refusing to show up."

"For real? How are we going to get home?"

"My mom could give you guys a ride," volunteered Boo.

"Mel, didn't you say you needed some pointers on that spin Michelle showed us?" Sasha asked casually.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

"Boo's mom could take Ginny home and I could drop you off after improving your miserable form."

"Gee, thanks." The sarcasm in Mel's voice was only partially faked.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Ginny asked.

"I'd love to, but Sasha, although totally bitchy, has a point."

"Well, if you're sure. Ready to go, Boo?"

"Yep." Boo hitched her bag up on her shoulder. "Sasha?"

"Yes?"

"Be nice."

"Of course. I'm not gonna bite her."

"You'd damn well better not," Melanie hissed.

When everyone had cleared the dressing room a few minutes later, Mel was left standing awkwardly while Sasha lounged in one of the chairs, playing on her phone.

"You gonna stand there all day?" she asked carelessly.

"You gonna mess around on your phone all day?" Mel tried to adopt Sasha's casual tone, but her heart was beating too fast and it came out more aggressively than she meant.

"In a hurry, are we?"

"This was your idea."

"Are you going to come here or am I going to have to get up?"

In response Mel folded her arms and raised her eyebrows at the shorter girl, indicating that she wasn't moving. Sasha sighed dramatically and tossed her phone onto her bag. She sauntered over to the spot where Mel was rooted, stopping a few inches short of her.

"So?" she murmured.

Melanie swallowed nervously, then haltingly leaned down and brushed her lips against Sasha's. They were so warm and soft and inviting. Sasha smiled into the kiss and grabbed Mel's hips to pull her closer. She took the lead and backed the taller girl into the wall, kissing her harder and faster. Mel wasn't worrying that she might get another hickey as kisses were peppered down her jaw and neck. She wasn't worrying that someone might walk in on them. All she was preoccupied with was the thought that Sasha might stop and that was unacceptable.

**A/N: Sorry to leave you hanging, but I thought I'd give y'all this chapter and start writing the next one rather than make it all one long chapter and not update for another week or so. Spoiler alert: They get caught.**


	5. Chapter 5

The girls had been going at it for a good half an hour when Michelle found them. They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't hear her open the door and come up the stairs and didn't notice when she came in the room.

"Well, well, well," she said and the girls sprang apart. "If it isn't..." Michelle stopped, looked at the two girls, and frowned. "Dammit. I had this whole joke planned out! If I caught you" she nodded at Sasha "and Boo or you" gestured to Melanie "and Ginny I was going to say, 'Well, well, well, if it isn't Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman.' But you were both Mila Kunis in the situation and now you're macking and I can hardly say, 'Well, well, well, if it isn't Mila Kunis and Mila Kunis' because then you wouldn't get the reference."

"Hold up," said Melanie. "You were expecting some of us to be gay?"

"Forget that, you had a joke prepared? Really?"

"What, you think I just think these genius quips up on the spot? Well, actually, I do. But some of them I think up when I'm lying in bed and can't sleep and hold onto them until it's the perfect time to use them. So yes to both questions. My turn- how long have you two been together?"

"We're not together!" the girls insisted.

"So what was all the black swanning? Experimenting? Friends with benefits?"

"Something in the neighborhood of none of your business." Sasha put her hands on her hips.

"Wrong, kiddo. If it's in the dance studio it's totally my business."

"Friends with benefits," confessed Mel. "But not like all the time. Just when Mila Kunis here is feeling lonely. Which is getting more and more often."

"Wow, thanks for throwing me under the bus, Yao Ming." Sasha scowled. "You sure didn't mind my loneliness a few minutes ago when I was—"

"Aaaand we're done here," Michelle interjected hastily. "Look, girls, I get it. You're young. You're curious. Boys are idiots. Goodness knows I've kissed my share of girls. Just don't do it where anyone could walk in on you, all right? There are children that use this dressing room. It's not because you're both girls; I'd say the same thing if I caught Boo and Carl making out in here. So take your teenage hormones somewhere else, por favor, and if I catch you again, I promise I'll unleash an even better ballerina lesbian reference on you. Got it?"

"Got it," they said, avoiding her eyes.

"Now scoot."

Sasha and Melanie grabbed their bags and left the dance studio as quickly as humanly possible. Only when they were inside Sasha's BMW did they finally catch their breath.

"I think the last time I've been this embarrassed was in third grade when someone spread the rumor that I peed my pants during recess," said Mel.

"That wasn't a rumor, that actually happened."

"Mmmm,debatable. Anyway, you're pretty chill. The last time Michelle called you out you wouldn't talk to anyone for days."

"That's not true!"

"Uh huh."

The car fell silent for the next few blocks until Melanie spoke up.

"We need rules."

"Rules?"

"You heard me."

"What, are you Madame Fanny all of a sudden? We didn't have rules on Friday. We didn't have rules today."

"And on Friday you gave me a big-ass hickey and today we got caught by someone we have to see almost every day. Yeah, we need rules."

"Like what?" Sasha's tone was challenging.

"Like we don't make out in places where people can walk in on us."

"Fine. But technically that's everywhere."

"Then we take precautions. Like locking the door."

"Fine."

"And no hickeys."

"Where people can see them," modified Sasha.

Melanie thought for a moment.

"Where people can see them," she agreed. "And you can't just call me up and expect me to drop everything and rush to your side just because you're horny."

"Who says I'd do that?"

"Well first of all, that's pretty much what you did today. And secondly, I know you, Sasha. I have my own life and people will get suspicious if we start hanging out alone too much."

"Fine. Anything else?"

"Nope. You got anything?"

"Yes. We don't talk about it. Or feelings. Or anything."

"And if you fall madly in love with me at some point?"

"When you fall in love with me," countered Sasha, "you can keep it to yourself. We don't talk about feelings. Period. If you start getting all mushy on me I'll tell Ginny you've been in love with her for years and are thinking about asking her to prom. And I'm buying you a 'Lebanese' shirt."

"Gee, how could I ever resist such a charming girl?"

"Do your best."

"That it?" Melanie asked as Sasha pulled up to her house.

"That's all I can think of. I'll text you if I think of anything else."

"Wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Mila Kunis."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update, I get out of the Bunheads groove during hiatuses (hiatusi?). There are going to be two or so chapters after this one and then it'll be finished. Thanks for reading!**

Melanie was the first to cave in asking for a make out session. Sasha must've been irritated by the rule about not telling Mel to drop everything to make out because she didn't suggest it for two full weeks, but winked at the other girl when no one was looking and made innuendos more often than usual.

Mel finally broke after Sasha passed her on the way out of dance and brushed her hand across her lower back.

**Stop that!**

**Make me.**

**You better believe I will. What are you doing now?**

**I'm going home to do homework.**

**I'll be there in five. And I'm not tutoring you in biology.**

Sasha didn't say anything when Mel showed up on her front step, just smirked and led her to her room after calling to her mom to leave them alone to study.

As soon as the lock clicked into place, Sasha had Mel backed up against the door and slowly traced her thumb along the taller girl's jaw. Mel tried to hold back a shiver but it was nearly impossible when Sasha's thumb glanced across her lips. Finally, without warning, the shorter girl leaned up and pressed their lips together heatedly. All the frustration about liking Ginny but not being able to tell her, all the tension from school, all the pressure that came from just living the life of a normal teen converted into raw sexual energy.

Sasha was very handsy and Mel didn't mind one bit. She wasn't quite sure how they got onto the bed and she wasn't sure how both of them ended up in just their bras and pants, but she didn't really care. The feeling, the smell, the experience of having Sasha so close, kissing her mouth and neck and chest, running her hands over her stomach, the feel of her slightly cold fingers on her flushed skin... It was...reassuring? Heavenly? Sexy? Sexy. Definitely sexy.

"Sasha! Dinner!"

Mrs. Torres' call seemed to come too soon even though it was already getting dark.

"Wanna stay for dinner?" asked Sasha casually, climbing off of her tall friend and searching for her shirt.

"Nah, I should probably head home." It crossed Mel's mind that she could probably make some crack about having eaten already, but she her adrenaline was rushing too fast for clever wordplay. "Toss me my shirt?"

Sasha complied and started fixing her hair in the mirror while Mel made herself look presentable.

"See ya, junkie," said Sasha by way of farewell.

"Please, that's Ozzy Osbourne calling Lindsay Lohan a druggie," shot Mel.

Or at least she would have if she'd thought of it as she was leaving instead of when she was three blocks away.

Damn that sassy brunette with her quick quips and amazing lips. Damn her straight to closeted lesbian hell.

XXX

**Hey.**

Two weeks and an undisclosed amount of illicit meetings later, Melanie glared at her phone's bright screen in the darkness and quickly typed a reply.

**It's 12:45.**

**I know.**

**And we have school tomorrow.**

**I know.**

**So right now is not the best time for a make out session.**

**I need somewhere to spend the night and Boo isn't answering her phone.**

**Come on over.**

Ten minutes later, Sasha was easing the window open quietly so as not to wake anyone in the Segal household up. She was wearing her pajamas and had her school backpack slung over her shoulders. There was nothing that made the dancer look smaller than darkness. It enveloped her, making her seem as fragile as a child, as helpless as a kitten.

"Hey."

"Hey."

And that was it. No explanation, no excuse. She just nudged Mel until there was room for her in her bed and then curled up without so much as a "good night." That was fine with Melanie. She'd known Sasha long enough that she knew not to prod her when she wasn't in the mood to talk, especially late at night. Besides, it was probably because her parents had been fighting and what did Mel know about that? Nothing, that's what. It was best to let Boo deal with the angst and the drama.

Still, it was hard to ignore the fact that Sasha was shaking. Melanie could've made a comment about her being a junkie or gotten her an extra blanket or suggested therapy, but instead she put an arm around her and pulled her close. Sasha made a noise that could've been a protest or a thank you, but didn't make any move away from the embrace.

"Mel?"

"What's up?" she murmured groggily, having almost dozed off again.

"I just..."

There was a pause and Mel struggled to stay conscious. After a few seconds she felt a small hand squeeze hers and remain there.

"Thanks," Sasha whispered.

"Any time."

XXX

"Hey, Sasha?"

The two of them were exchanging lazy kisses in the Segal basement while watching TV and doing an English assignment. They'd been spending a lot of non-makeout time together lately, just randomly hanging out and doing homework or going shopping or taking walks to the park. They'd never planned it or talked about it—it just ended up happening. They even had inside jokes that didn't include Boo or Ginny, which was absolutely unheard of. And Mel found that she didn't mind at all. Now it was just as natural for her to call or text Sasha if something great happened as it was to call Ginny.

And it got her to thinking.

"Mmm?"

"Remember that time when you said you'd go all Britney on me if I mentioned feelings in this?" Mel gestured vaguely between their bodies.

"Yep."

"That's still in force, right?"

"Yep."

"Okay." She paused. "Because if you're falling for me, I totally won't go Britney on you if you say so."

"Ha!" Sasha scoffed. "Dream on, Paula Bunyan. This is strictly business."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I need someone to mack with to get all my crazy teenage hormones straightened out and your lips are available."

"We don't just make out these days."

"You need me so you can pass English and I need you to help me with biology. It's totally a fair trade."

"It's not just school stuff either, Quinn Fabray."

"A Glee reference? Really? Besides, Boo and Ginny are both busy with their own little love lives and I have to have someone laughing at my jokes and being on the receiving end of my insults at all times and it's not like you're doing anything."

"No, I guess not."

Melanie had expected Sasha's answer to be pretty much exactly what she heard. But it still hurt, no matter how many times she'd tried to convince herself that Sasha wasn't into her, that Sasha liked Boo, that Sasha didn't need her. Sometimes, when she was feeling particularly stupid, she would let herself daydream about holding Sasha's small, soft hand while walking down the halls at school or being able to tell her how beautiful she looked without getting an eye roll in response.

_You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed—_

"Hey, Boo! No, I'm not doing anything important, I'm just helping Mel with that nasty assignment Olschewski gave us. Yeah, I'll be right over." Sasha snapped her phone shut. "Sorry, dude, Boo needs help babysitting her brother and Carl's still getting over the flu. See you tomorrow?"

She dashed off before Melanie could respond.

Mel tried to ignore how tight her chest felt. "Not doing anything important." Whatever. She didn't care that Sasha didn't care. She didn't. Dammit, she was the girl who'd beat up Chandler Vigil in the third grade because he'd put a bug down her shirt! She was the girl who never cried during those stupid Nicholas Sparks movies! She was the girl who gave literally fewer fucks than almost anyone in Paradise!

Why did it hurt so much now?

She knew why.

But admitting it made it hurt more.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day the girls ate lunch outside on the grass. Melanie forgot how put out she was at Sasha's abrupt exit yesterday and enjoyed the sunshine and clever conversation as the group of girls gossiped about the people around them.

"Hey, Mel, check it out." Sasha nudged her friend. "Look who it is."

The two brunettes laughed until they cried as Zoe Quinlan walked by. Sasha had done a killer impression of the cheerleader the previous weekend and the girls couldn't even catch a glimpse of her without dissolving into giggles.

"I don't get it," Boo said.

"It's—it's nothing," Mel wheezed. "Inside joke."

"Come on, that's the bell," Sasha said, still snickering. "I'll see you nerds after school."

"Since when do you and Sasha have inside jokes?" Ginny asked as she and Mel walked to Spanish together.

"I dunno, it just kind of happened."

"What do you two even do when you're together?"

"Talk. Eat. You know, what you and me do when we're together."

"Except you and Sasha aren't best friends."

"No, but we're kind of friends, so that counts for something."

"You've called her a bitch every day since you learned what it meant in first grade."

"Eh, she grows on you."

"Well, she definitely grew on _you_. I'm not about to get all snuggly with her just because you say her bitchiness is toned down."

"I never said that. She still knows exactly where to hit at the worst possible time and does just for kicks and giggles."

"So why do you spend so much time hanging out with her?"

Melanie didn't have an answer for that. She couldn't tell Ginny that she had fallen for Sasha because to get to that point she'd have to explain that the girls first bonded over their doomed crushes on Ginny and Boo, respectively, which was pretty embarrassing. But she also didn't think Ginny would react kindly to the fact that Mel had been hiding her sexuality from her this whole time and that she had chosen Sasha Torres of all people to fall for.

"Why not? You're almost always hanging out with Josh."

"Yeah, because he's my boyfriend, it's what we do. But we're not doing anything on Friday. Come over to my house and we'll catch up."

"I think Sasha and I have plans."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, I thought you and Josh would be hanging out as usual."

"You just assumed I'd be going out with him? You didn't bother to ask beforehand?"

"Fine, whatever, I'll cancel my plans with Sasha and come hang out with you on Friday."

"That's not the point, Mel."

"You're being so needy," Mel said defensively. "What do you want from me?"

"I want my best friend back!"

"I said I'd come to your house on Friday! What more do you want? Best friend necklaces? An album dedicated to you on Facebook? A tattoo that says 'Ginny's BFF; Back Off' in big letters across my forehead?"

"I want you to stop spending so much goddamn time with Sasha!"

"Wow, way to win me over with your sweet talking and logic."

"Fine."

The halls had emptied as the bell rang to begin fifth period. Ginny took a calming breath and headed into the bathroom to finish the conversation. Spanish could wait. They had major best friend shit to work through.

"How's this for sweet talking and logic? I care about you. I may not be around all the time because I have a boyfriend to spend time with, but I make time to be with you. Sasha just hangs out with you because she's bored, plain and simple. And if Boo asked Sasha to stop hanging out with you, do you think she'd think twice before choosing?"

Mel didn't say anything. She knew Ginny was right. It wasn't even a hypothetical situation—any time Boo asked Sasha to do anything, Sasha was out the door without so much as a cursory thought about Melanie. Maybe it was better to cut herself off before she got even more invested and got even more hurt when Sasha finally made her choice.

"You're right." She leaned against a stall. "You're totally right."

"I'm sorry, Mel." Ginny put her arms around her. "I just don't want to see you get hurt by the queen of the bitches."

"I know."

"Let's go to class, all right? As much as I want to skip Spanish to hang out in this nasty bathroom..."

"Yeah, let's go."

"And on Friday we can make snickerdoodles and watch The Bachelorette and..."

Ginny kept making plans, but Melanie didn't hear a word she said. All she could think about was what she had promised and what she was going to say to Sasha.

And tried not to think about how easily Sasha would take it.

XXX

"Hey, dork, wanna come over to my house and study biology?"

Sasha waggled her eyebrows as Melanie took off her ballet slippers. Mel kept her eyes on the floor.

"Not really, no."

"But it's Tuesday. There are reruns of Lucy on the old person channel so we don't die of boredom while we diagram mitochondria."

"Not interested."

"Are you doing something with Ginny?" Sasha frowned.

"No."

"Then why don't you want to come over?"

"I don't feel like it."

"Oooookay, Cryptic McGee. Are we still on for Friday?"

"Ginny and I are hanging out."

"How about Saturday?"

"It's trivia night at the Oyster Bar, of course we'll hang out."

"Do you want to come over to my house before that?"

"What for?"

"Are you screwing with me?" Sasha sounded irritated, but couldn't voice what she was getting at since the changing room was full of other girls.

"No." Melanie stood up. "Find someone else to laugh at your jokes and be on the receiving end of your insults. I'm done."

For a few seconds Sasha looked like she might punch Mel in the gut, but she appeared to push the emotion back where it came from and settled for an indifferent expression.

"Fine," she said coolly. "I'll go see if that Roman kid likes Lucille Ball."

"You do that."

Sasha stalked out of the room. Boo and a few other girls gawked at Mel, not aware of how hard the exchange had been for her, but in awe of the fact that she'd blown Sasha off so completely. Ginny slow clapped.

"Good work, Mel! Feel better now?"

"Yeah," Melanie lied. "Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

It was complete bullshit. As her best friend congratulated her for getting out from her crush's thumb, Mel felt more and more miserable. Sasha had seemed surprised and irritated at Mel's rebellion, but anyone would be surprised and irritated if their doormat stood up to them one day. Sasha would go find another doormat. And if this doormat happened to be male and good-looking like that stupid Roman kid, Sasha would probably make out with it and let it hold her hand in public and not threaten to pummel it if it wanted to talk about feelings.

Mel should be happy. Now she could start getting over Sasha and move on to better and more healthy relationships.

But "moving on" at this point looked a lot like eating ice cream alone in her room and watching "Lost Girl" and listening to Taylor Swift and telling people that her eyes were puffy because she had allergies.


	8. Chapter 8

"'What is the name of the actor who plays Mrs. Cleaver in the TV series _Leave it to Beaver_?'" Boo sighed. "Why is it they never ask questions that people under 30 can answer?"

"I keep telling you guys, we need to form an alliance with Millie or old Mrs. Craygood," Ginny insisted. "We do all right in the other categories, but _Lame Syndicated TV Shows_ is a major weakness."

"Carl's pretty good with old shows and actors," Boo reminded her friends mildly. "If we changed the 'No Boys' rule about our trivia team, we could actually win."

"What do you think, Mel?"

Mel wasn't thinking about the rule excluding males from their table every third Saturday of every other month or chumming up to Millie Stone or the answer to the question (Barbara Billingsley, they would find out in a few minutes). She was focusing all her attention on the fries in front of her.

"Mel?"

"What?" She dipped three fries at a time into her ranch.

"Should we let Carl and Josh join us?"

"I don't care."

"You were the one who made the rule in the first place!" Ginny looked shocked. "You have to care about it at least a little."

"I don't." Melanie popped the fries into her mouth. She frowned slightly. "These suck. I'm gonna go order some sweet potato fries. And some onion rings. And a sundae."

"If Madam Fanny hears about this..." Boo began.

"She won't." Mel shrugged and headed to the counter.

"Hey, Godot, can you hook me up with some ice cream and fried goods of the onion and sweet potato variety?" She held out a twenty dollar bill.

"Sure thing. You want me to bring them to your table?"

"Nah, I can wait here."

"Long day?" Michelle plopped down on the stool to Melanie's right.

"Long week."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"I think I'm going to follow the example of Liz Lemon on this one."

"You're going to complain about it to your fifty-something ultra-conservative boss?"

"I'm gonna talk to some food about it."

"Oh, right." Michelle thanked Godot when he put a strawberry margarita in front of her. "Does this have anything to do with Mila Kunis?"

"Yeah. I'm really disappointed with her performance in _Oz the Great and Powerful_."

"Careful, kiddo. Sarcasm of that magnitude could cause heads to explode."

"You'd know."

"I'm just warning you. You think you're prepared to be in a room with headless corpses and blood and guts splattered over you, but you never really are."

"You're weird."

"Thanks. Where is Sasha, anyway?" Michelle surveyed the bar crowded with young and old people.

Mel shrugged.

"She texted Boo that she was coming."

"Oh, there she is. Who's that punk with her?"

Melanie fought her instinct to turn around and see who Michelle was talking about even though she knew it must be Roman. Sasha had been texting Boo about him all weekend and Boo relayed the information to Ginny and Mel.

"Hey, Michelle."

Mel clenched her fists, willing her heart to freaking calm down at the sound of her crush's voice. It didn't help that Sasha was standing close enough for Mel to smell her perfume muddled with the smell of her shampoo and her natural scent.

"Hey, Sasha. Who's this?"

"Michelle, this is Roman, my boyfriend. Roman, this is Michelle, my drug dealer."

"Always glad to meet the important people in Sasha's life." Roman gave Michelle a nod. "Do you want anything, Sash?"

"Just a lemonade."

"Cool, I'll get it. Go sit down and help your friends."

Melanie heard a kissing noise and Sasha's retreating steps as she went to join Ginny and Boo. Roman hovered awkwardly, waiting for Godot to reemerge from the kitchen to take his order. It was taking every ounce of self-control Mel had not to gouge out his heavily lined eyes and punch him in the gut. Michelle sipped her drink quietly.

When Godot brought Mel and Roman's orders out at the same time, Melanie decided to hang around the counter for a bit so she wouldn't have to awkwardly walk in front of or behind Roman on his way to the girls' table. She knew that Sasha would introduce him to all of her friends and it would create an uncomfortable moment if she had to explain why she'd neglected to say hello to Mel at the bar. Mel wasn't sure if Sasha explaining the truth or making up a lie would hurt more.

"What are you gonna do?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know." Melanie picked at her onion rings.

"That was pretty cold of her not to even acknowledge your presence."

"Can't talk about feelings, eating them instead," Mel said with a full mouth.

"Mel!" Ginny shouted. "Mel! It's a question about sports!"

"Are you a sports buff?" Michelle inquired as Mel tried to balance her food for the short trip.

"Nah, but I've had more exposure to it because of Charlie."

"You gonna be okay?"

"Guess I'll find out."

Mel's seat was occupied by Carl and Josh, Roman, and Sasha had pulled chairs around the table so there was hardly any room left for her. She stood there, juggling her ice cream and fries, reading the question on the screen.

"'What town is considered the birthplace of basketball?'" she read. "Springfield, Massachusetts."

Boo punched the answer into the device.

"Correct!" she squealed.

"Hang on, none of you guys knew that?" Mel looked at the boys incredulously.

"Nope," said Josh, casually taking a fry.

"I'm more of a ballet man myself," said Carl with a shrug.

"Basketball's lame," Roman added, although Melanie didn't give a damn about what he thought.

"Weren't you on the basketball team, honey?" Sasha asked, hanging all over him.

"Yeah, but I saw the error of my ways."

Sasha smirked and laughed. Mel hated hearing it, hated that Roman was making her laugh while she, Melanie, was left standing inelegantly, simmering in her own misery.

"Do you want me to grab you a chair?" Boo asked.

"No, I'm not feeling too hot. Too much fried food. I think I'm going to go home." She set her food down on the table. "Have at."

"But you haven't really eaten anything," Ginny protested.

Melanie ignored her and left the Oyster Bar. She took a moment to calm herself down by leaning against the wall in the alley next to the restaurant. She needed to clear her head of all things Sasha—her laugh, her smile, her stupid hair, her smell, her idiotic voice…

"Where you going, Segal?"

"Geeze Lo-freaking-uise, Sasha! I was just taking a moment to appreciate the structural soundness of this wall."

"Are you leaving because of me and Roman?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but the world—especially _my_ world—doesn't revolve around you. I don't give two shits about what you do or who you see."

"See, that would've been nice to know before your freak out on Tuesday."

"I would have told you how I felt, but, you know, you have your goddamn ban on feelings," Mel shot bitterly. "Why do you even care if I leave anyway? There are plenty of people in there to worship you."

"Is that what you think I want? Someone to worship me?"

"I don't care what you want."

"What do _you_ want?" Sasha asked as Melanie turned to leave.

"Since when does it matter what I want? Leave me alone!"

"Mel, what the hell is this about?"

Sasha darted in front of her friend and tried to put a hand on her cheek. Mel jerked away, as if Sasha's hands were covered in knives or poison or eels.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

"Just talk to me." Sasha implored.

Mel felt her resolve crumbling.

"Fine." She repeated the word for emphasis. "Fine. I'm going to say this exactly once so it's said and you know what's going on, but then I'm never bringing it up ever again, got it?

"Being makeout buddies with you… No, it's more than that. Getting to know you, I mean really getting to know you, it's been absolutely insane. You're insane, Sasha. How you make me feel is insane. You pretend to be this ice queen, but you have so much more to you than that. I like being close to you physically and emotionally. I never thought I'd say that, but I do. It's like snuggling with a bipolar tiger. Warm and fluffy, yet also exhilarating because you know at any moment the tiger could totally rip your face off. And it made me feel good that you didn't rip my face off. Like I was special. Special because you're special and you chose to spend time with me.

"But then when you didn't choose to spend time with me, when you dropped me for Boo all those times, it was like I realized how fake everything was. I didn't—I don't—mean anything to you. And then when I told you I didn't want to be your booty call anymore, you moved on to Roman so fast it was like you stuck duct tape all over my body and ripped it off without even counting to three. It hurt."

"Melanie, I—" Sasha began. She paused for a moment. "Melanie, I don't know what to say."

"It's cool. You don't have to respond with a whole speech. Just say 'Stop being an idiot, there will never be anything substantial between us' and we'll be good."

Sasha didn't say anything, just stood there in the alley, her eyebrows knit, staring at the ground.

"I'm gonna go now. You should go see how the team is doing."

"I'm sorry," Sasha said.

Mel stopped, her heart and lungs squeezing painfully.

"I don't do the whole emotions thing very well." Sasha laughed sadly. "Like you said, I pretend to be the ice queen. Mel, I'm terrified. Terrified that if the ice queen goes away, if people see how small and sad and angry I really am, they'll run away screaming. I'm scared of what will happen if I don't keep it light, if I don't flip the bird at everything and everyone. I know I pretend not to give a shit about what people say, but what they say and how they see me scares me to no end. I don't want to end up the subject of town gossip and pity like my dad."

"I know."

"But I like having you around. It makes me feel safe. It's also a little scary to think that I could actually date you. What if I screw it up? I know—I've always known—that I never stood a chance with Boo. It was just a daydream, so it could never threaten my safety. And with Roman… Well, he never takes anything seriously, so it's the perfect combination. I always have the luxury of breaking up with him. I never have to worry about him getting too close.

"It's different with you. It started out so casually, so flippantly. I thought it would be so easy just to make out with you when it was convenient and not have to worry about feelings. But it became more than that. I'm sorry."

Melanie stood looking at Sasha, trying to figure out what exactly she was saying.

"I'm willing to work at it if you are," she said hesitantly.

"You won't give up if the tiger decides to claw your face off?" Sasha asked.

"No. As long as you don't give up when I go crazy."

She took a small step forward, hoping with all her soul that Sasha would mirror the movement. She did. They continued taking little steps until they were a few centimeters apart. Melanie took in every detail, from the blue eyes to the pert nose to the slight smile that was playing on her lips. She thought her heart would burst, it was thumping so hard.

They leaned into the kiss together, displaying a synchronicity of body and spirit neither of them had felt before. The kiss was sweet and innocent but also beautiful and deep. Mel pulled Sasha closer, never wanting to let her go.

The couple heard coughing from the mouth of the alley and spun around to see Ginny and Boo standing there, jaws slack in amazement.

"Crap."

"How much of that did you guys see?"

"Enough," Boo said.

"Too much!" Ginny exclaimed. "Ugh, I've never seen so much tongue in my life."

"There's more where that came from," Sasha joked, pulling Melanie closer.

"Stop that," Mel said, laughing. "So you guys are okay with this?"

"Your taste in women totally sucks." Ginny made a face. "I would've sworn you liked girls like me. But whatever, if you're happy, I can't say anything."

"Exactly. And now we can have triple dates!" Boo added.

"We can have contests to see which couple can be the most disgusting," Sasha suggested.

"Fine by me." Mel placed a kiss on Sasha's cheek.

"If you two are done making gaybies," Ginny said, "You should come back inside for the lightning round. Mrs. Craygood and Millie are facing off for the first time in a year."

Melanie took her girlfriend's hand and followed her friends back into the bar, feeling lighter and happier than she ever remembered feeling.

**A/N: Finito! Thanks for hanging in there with me, guys. It only took six months to finish. Ugh. I'm so sorry. Anyway, thanks so much for your comments and reviews and your gentle nudges to keep going. Mwah!**


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